Trek to the Pinnacle of Heaven
Source: trekkinginindia.com
Beas Kund glacier is the most ideal trek for first timers. One can enjoy the grandeur of Himalayan trekking. You don’t only witness the placid high altitude alpine glacial lake but also the camp near the base of towering Himalayan peaks masked with snow and ice on one side and a beautiful waterfall on the other.
The trek starts from Solang Nala (2483 Mts.), a valley extremely popular with tourists for its summer “adventure” sports like skating, paragliding, horse riding, zip lining etc. These are typical tourist attractions, but they never interested me even as a kid as I always had this zeal for something more adventurous. In the winter, the giant slopes of the valley turn into a popular skiing destination. To reach Solang Nala from Manali, you can either hire a jeep/taxi or catch the 8.00 AM bus that leaves for Solang everyday from the Bus Stand near the Main Square. The 14 km ride takes about an hour over a fairly well maintained road dotted, but since our course was adamant in toning our physical condition, we walked that distance with 15 kg rucksacks on our back in order to prepare us for what laid ahead.
The trail to Beas Kund crosses the Solang Valley and branches towards a small hamlet called Dhundi which lies about 8 kms North West. Which is an uphill walk, where each and every one of us survived somehow in the blistering sun which was accompanied by cold winds. We took a few breaks here and there, but the thought of lagging behind always pushed me and my friends to go on. The trail is well trodden during summers and is a gradual ascent towards the meadows of Bakar Thach(Thach means meadows locally). With the raging Beas River to your left and a plethora of blooming flowers in a variety of hues to your right, the hike only starts getting more alluring and enjoyable, you can just enjoy the serenity and forget about all the worries of the world. Personally, I went for this trek at such a time when my emotional life was in shambles and these magnificent views helped me appreciate the beauty of nature. Crossing the various streams on this trail can get a little tricky, at times requiring you to hop over from one slippery rock to another, or otherwise balancing yourself deftly over slender wooden planks placed by the shepherds.
After about an hour, you should be able to spot some Gujjar huts to the left of the river. The trail then takes a sudden turn to the right and skirts around a small patch of hefty rocks and a tumbling waterfall, after which it takes you over a snow bridge to cross over to the other side of the river. When I did this trek in the middle of June, the snow bridge was still evidently strong as a large boulder was sitting in the middle of it. But as summer advances and days start getting hotter, there is a real risk of the snow bridge being weak and ruptured. When this happens, shepherds build a make shift bridge made of tree logs and wooden planks to facilitate crossing of the river. The trail then rises slightly and you will find yourself walking on the modest meadows of Bhoj Patra (meaning Birch trees) camp site with the Gujjar huts now directly behind you.
Source: Saksham Sahni
To the West, you will be able to spot the extensive hill of boulders that needs to be crossed to reach the Beas Kund Lake. Look behind and you might be able to steal a peek of the majestic Indrasan (6221 Mts.) and Deo Tibba (6001 Mts.) peaks. This is where we established our base camp to train in ice and snow craft which helps in your future treks.If you prefer solitude and wish to set camp, you may want to return to the pastures of Bhoj Patra which is only a few minutes walk behind you. Bakar Thach (3270 Mts.) is a high altitude ‘shepherd field’ where the shepherds let their cattle and bovines graze during summers and a majority part of the monsoons.
The pristine blue lake of Beas Kund suddenly revealed itself. Dip your feet in the icy cold glacial waters of the lake and feel the fatigue slowly desert you, precautions should be taken though, as I can tell you from my own near fatal mishap.
One morning, my campmate and I woke up a bit early and we had decided the night before that we shall be taking a dip in the river instead of showering with a hose, to get a “once in a lifetime” experience. We both of made our way out of our camp in our boots and pajamas without a shirt as we thought wearing that would be a hassle. As we slowly made our way across the frozen river ever so carefully, we found a crevice big enough to take a bath. I decided to go first to show my friend that I have the balls and I’m not afraid to do anything even though I was getting a few beads of sweat in that chilly weather. I stepped under the waterfall and my heart skipped a beat, the water was well cold, as cold as tens and thousands of ice dropped on you in one second, but somehow I survived the shower without any mishaps. Seeing this, my friend got cocky and decided to jump in then crevice and he slipped and fell right onto a slab of ice and that was the end of his journey.
The last day was tough - a mix of fatigue and the annoying feeling of heading back to city. That was a rainy day. I woke up with pleasant sound of falling rain and hurriedly put on my raincoat. Brushing teeth under rain was totally left me feeling like a kid. Every moment was new and unseen. The river was more aggressive and excited due to falling rain. I was literally jumping all around and pushing cooks to prepare coffee, I felt the chill through 3 layers of thermals. The place was not like it seemed to be yesterday and that was the awesomeness of the place.
The idea of climbing a mountain is not reaching the top of it, taking a U turn and returning to respective houses. Rather, it's about meeting people, talking and understanding to help eac , learning the older way of mankind, letting instincts take over and that kind of adrenaline won’t be reached in any other experience.
Having restrictions like unmatched individual stamina and unequal fitness level brings real challenges. Synchronizing the upward movement is very critical to move as a team and requires lots of helping attitude. You may have to carry backpack of someone who is unable to walk or at times you have to share your water with someone who is more in need. In order to move together, the climbers learn to develop that understanding and enter that helping and companionship mode and this will also help you in your day-to-day life - the compassion and drive learnt there lives inside you.
Source: Saksham Sahni
Everybody can trek, it’s not a big deal. It would be fruitful if you do little exercise in advance to keep your body cramps-free during trek.. You have to be mentally strong and have to have believe that you can do it because it’s doable. After every trek, you will become a more mature and stronger person – physically and mentally. You will learn to survive at minimums and react patiently in unpredictable situations.
Some information about the trail: Bus distance from Manali (1950 Mts.) to Solang Valley: 14 Kms. Trek distance from Solang (2483 Mts.) to Dhundi – 8 Kms. Trek distance from Dhundi (2840 Mts.) to Bakar Thach – 3 Kms. Trek distance from Bakar Thach (3270 Mts.) to Beas Kund (3690 Mts.) – 3 Kms. Major peaks seen on this trek: Shitidhar (5294 Mts.), Friendship Peak (5289 Mts.) Ladakhi Peak (5345 Mts.) Deo Tibba (6001 Mts.), Indrasan (6221 Mts.), Hanuman Tibba (5940 Mts.)
